Sony DVD-Architect: Audio Sync problems using PAL-content

[mltwitz]

I used Sony DVD Architect 3.0c to author a NTSC DVD containing a DivX (Version 4 Codec) avi-File, with PAL content (frame rate = 25 fps) and the audio was totally out of sync in the finished DVD project. I can play the file with no audio sync problems in my video player (ATI), but somehow the Sony software does not author the DVD correctly (I'm assuming this is a frame rate issue). I have the Divx version 5.3 codec installed. Previously I have authored DVDs using NeroVision Express and it burned PAL content files perfectly. I hope I don't have to step down to Nero again to accomplish the job, I thought Sony is a more professional software?! What am I doing wrong????

[mltwitz]

Just a follow up:

I tried to re-encode the divX Pal-content video file converting the frame rate from PAL 25 fps to NTSC 29.97 using Sony Vegas 6, and the audio in the resulting file was still out of sync. What is going on here? Is this a bug or user error?

[guns1inger]

Sony does not like variable bitrate (VBR) mp3 audio, and will either not processes it, or have sync problems. I also suspect that this is not the best way to do format conversions.

Start by extracting the audio as an uncompressed WAV file using virtualdub, and replace the mp3 audio track with the new one (assuming the original audio is mp3). See if this fixes the problem. If it doesn't, consider authoring a PAL disk, as the source is PAL, or sourcing an NTSC version of the original.

[mltwitz]

Thanks! I gues I will have to experiment with VirtualDub . However I'm really dissappointed that Sony DVD-Architect, which claims to be a professional authoring software (and for which I paid a lot of money), is not capable of doing something so seemingly common, and is easily done with novice-software like Nerovision Express!!!

[Cunhambebe]

Before dropping the file directly into DVDA, try to use Vegas to convert the file to MPEG2 and the audio to AC-3 (first render the video as MPEG2 - template DVDA PAL Video Stream and then render the aurio as AC-3). Use both files to author your PAL DVD with DVDA.
Hope it works. Sony has done a great job with Vegas and DVDA

[MJPollard]

Thanks! I gues I will have to experiment with VirtualDub . However I'm really dissappointed that Sony DVD-Architect, which claims to be a professional authoring software (and for which I paid a lot of money), is not capable of doing something so seemingly common, and is easily done with novice-software like Nerovision Express!!!

When you feed DVDA files that conform to the DVD specs, DVDA does its job very, very well. Feed it off-spec files for which it has to perform conversion (MP3, AVI) and you're asking it to do more than it rightfully should, i.e. author a DVD. Other apps are far better suited to process video and audio -- Vegas, for example -- and are, IMHO, what should be used first to get your video and audio into compliancy before they're used in DVDA.

I think your biggest mistake is in comparing DVD Architect to NeroVision Express. The latter is aimed at the "throw anything at it and go" novice crowd, who don't know or care about conforming files; all they generally want is to "create a DVD from my files." DVDA isn't as forgiving, nor should it be: its aim is a little bit higher than Joe Novice, and generally expects you to be a bit more savvy. (Not unreasonable, IMHO, when you consider that it's part of a $600.00 software package.)